Musical development of young children of the Chinese diaspora in London Yen-Ting Wu Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD at UCL Institute of Education 2018 Declaration I, Yen-Ting Wu, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. Signature: Date: 1 Acknowledgements My sincere gratitude is expressed to: Professor Graham Welch, for his continuous guidance, support, encouragement and inspiration throughout my research journey and thesis writing. Professor Adam Ockelford and Angela Voyajolu, for their insightful discussions with me on the SoI-EY framework which was applied in this study. The participant families in this study, for their generous commitment and precious contribution to this study. My family, for their continuous support in every respect of my life. My friends in the UK, Taiwan, and other parts of the world, for their encouragement and companionship throughout my studies. The Taiwanese government, for the award of scholarship that financially supported my studies in the UK. The Buddha, for his blessings and spiritual inspiration in my life. 2 Abstract The thesis investigates the musical behaviour and development of young, pre-school children of the Chinese diaspora in London. There has been rapid growth in the Chinese population in the UK over the last three decades, yet little is known about of the nature and significance of the diaspora in young children’s musical development. Two theoretical frameworks were used to frame the nature of the research. Firstly, pre- school musical behaviour in the home was investigated through the Sounds of Intent in the Early Years framework (Ockelford, 2015; Voyajolu & Ockelford, 2016). Secondly, different aspects of the young child’s socio-musical environment were examined using Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; 2005). Data collection involved two interrelated phases. In the exploratory stage, twenty Chinese mothers were interviewed individually to investigate their musical biographies and values, and their children’s musical engagement in the family. In the main fieldwork phase, ten of these mothers kept a regular diary of their children’s musical behaviours over six months, supplemented by optional video recordings and photographs. Two further interviews were also undertaken. Subsequently, four individual children from three families were selected for case study analyses, and these were compared with the dataset of the other participants to gain a comprehensive picture. Findings suggest that these young children’s musical development was both age-related and context-dependent. Potential socio-cultural factors included the local environment, members of the family and their community settings, which were embedded in various cultural impacts. The Chinese identity held by these families informed daily music and language exposure for these young children. In addition, parents believed in the value of music learning as a way to nurture good character. Novel findings from this study highlighted the distinctive nature of these young children’s musical experiences and development within the Chinese diaspora in London and raised awareness of the diverse nature of the musical environment of children before formal education. Musical behaviours were both characteristic of early childhood, but also distinctive in the ways that they were embedded in Chinese cultural artefacts. 3 Impact Statement The impact of this study is to improve our current understanding of how young preschool children develop musically in a diasporic family context, and to raise awareness of the diverse socio-cultural musical environments of such young children. The research findings in this study add to the existing evidence base in music education research concerning the distinctive nature of children’s musical experiences and musical development pathways before they enter formal education. The Chinese population has been growing rapidly in the UK, particularly in major urban centres such as London. The findings of this study, therefore, can inform policy makers of possible key family child rearing characteristics of the increasing young Chinese population, with potential implications for understanding other ethnic minorities, particularly in relation to their distinctive musical cultures and language exposure. These characteristics need to be taken into account when introducing educational policies. For early years practitioners and local music providers, an enriched understanding of the nature of the musical experiences and development of infant and preschool children should provide a better basis for effective pedagogy and provision. The participant families’ emphasis on linking musical and language exposure is also important for the design of wider curriculum and speech, language and communication provision for young children and has positive implications for families whose children with Speech, Language and Communication needs who could benefit from an enriched sonic environment through music. This study also demonstrated an example of investigating young children’s musical development using the newly-developed Sounds of Intent in the Early Years framework in combination of Ecological Systems Theory. The provision of strengths and limitations present in the thesis provide a basis for the design of future research. For the families who are part of Chinese diaspora in London, the findings from this study provided an insightful understanding of the richness of young children’s musical behaviours and development in the home and local community, as well as through extended family networks. 4 Table of Contents Declaration ....................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ............................................................................................................................ 3 Impact Statement ............................................................................................................. 4 List of Tables and Figures .............................................................................................. 13 Chapter 1 Introduction to the study ................................................................................. 19 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 19 1.2 Chinese diaspora in the UK ................................................................................... 19 1.2.1 The definition of ‘Chinese diaspora’ ................................................................ 19 1.2.2 The Chinese diaspora in a global context ....................................................... 20 1.2.3 The Chinese diaspora in the UK ..................................................................... 20 1.3 Background to the study ....................................................................................... 22 1.4 Research aims and research questions ................................................................ 22 1.5 Structure of the thesis ........................................................................................... 23 Chapter 2 Literature Review ........................................................................................... 25 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 25 2.2 Musical development of infants ............................................................................. 25 2.2.1 Musical development in the prenatal period .................................................... 25 2.2.2 Musical predispositions of infants ................................................................... 26 2.2.3 Musical communication in caregiving .............................................................. 28 2.2.4 Vocal development of infants .......................................................................... 29 2.2.5 Infants’ behavioural responses to music ......................................................... 30 2.2.6 Summary ........................................................................................................ 31 2.3 Musical development of young children................................................................. 31 2.3.1 Singing development of young children .......................................................... 31 2.3.2 Young children’s rhythmic movements to music ............................................. 32 2.3.3 Young children’s music-making with objects and instruments ......................... 33 2.4 Musical activities in the family context ................................................................... 34 5 2.4.1 Musical activities in the home environment ..................................................... 35 2.4.2 Technology and media in the home environment............................................ 37 2.4.3 Musical activities outside home environment .................................................. 40 2.4.4 The role of family members ............................................................................ 41 2.4.5 Musical activities in the family context and musical enculturation ................... 42 2.4.6 Summary .......................................................................................................